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Brendan Smith Needs to be Re-Signed

I was ready to let him hit free agency as a pure rental at the deadline. That grew to straddling a fence closer to the start of the playoffs. After game four, I'm convinced they need him for the immediate future.

They can largely reinvent their entire top-four next season by keeping Smith, IMO. Shattenkirk is just a matter of time in my eyes (as is a Girardi buyout), so if they manage to extend Smith to a reasonable deal—say $10M over three years, give or take on dollars—they can likely go into next season with a completely mobile, completely interchangeable top-four of McDonagh, Shattenkirk, Skjei, and Smith.

That defeats the purpose of removing him. If you are swapping his $5.5M for another $5M~ contract, you run out of money quick once you account for raises. At the very least, it assures the Rangers will not have room to make Shattenkirk an offer.

I was ready to let him hit free agency as a pure rental at the deadline. That grew to straddling a fence closer to the start of the playoffs. After game four, I'm convinced they need him for the immediate future.

They can largely reinvent their entire top-four next season by keeping Smith, IMO. Shattenkirk is just a matter of time in my eyes (as is a Girardi buyout), so if they manage to extend Smith to a reasonable deal—say $10M over three years, give or take on dollars—they can likely go into next season with a completely mobile, completely interchangeable top-four of McDonagh, Shattenkirk, Skjei, and Smith.

I said this in another thread, but I'd sign up for that top four right now. Even Staal in the bottom pair and that's very very solid.

He has definitely raised his game at the right time of year, and I would like the move subject to money and years. Would make the 2nd and 3rd round picks given up much more bearable. I like his grit, but he can skate and get the puck out our end which is something our D had struggled with. The decline of Klein has made this far more likely as things go on IMO.

Staal is my worry, as I think Girardi has actually played ok IMO and certainly outplayed Staal. Plus we would be overloading on lefty's, although granted a few can play the right side.

TBH Girardi has been excellent in the playoffs and I think there are takers in a trade. I think you might have to ship him for next to nothing, but seeing as how a lot of these younger teams are making a dent in the playoffs and could really use a guy who has been tried and tested in the spring, I think there's a deal to be made. G is slow, but his value in the playoffs as a safe veteran presence who is willing to do some dirty work is something I think there is a market for.

Anyway, yes, all of this sounds good. Smith has been exactly what the team should have gotten at the deadline, and I like that he's got a bit of a nasty edge to his game. Let's hope they don't hand him 5m!

I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't like the idea of Shatty on the first pair. The guy just isn't a shutdown defender. You're better of partnering him with Staal/Smith, giving him favorable starts and just letting him run the power play. He's 6th amongst WAS defensemen in EV/TOI in the playoffs and just 5th overall despite playing 2:51 per game on the PP.

That's not a good look for a guy we're going to have to give probably 6 x $6.

I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't like the idea of Shatty on the first pair. The guy just isn't a shutdown defender. You're better of partnering him with Staal/Smith, giving him favorable starts and just letting him run the power play. He's 6th amongst WAS defensemen in EV/TOI in the playoffs and just 5th overall despite playing 2:51 per game on the PP.

That's not a good look for a guy we're going to have to give probably 6 x $6.

I could be wrong, but my feeling is that if Shatty signs a big deal here it's gonna be rocky.

If you can get him at around $3M you have to do it, but I also wouldn't be surprised if he had a relatively good season again next year and then two more years (30 & 31 years old) where our opinion of him is similar to Klein this year and likely next if we don't part with him. These physical D just break down.

Because of the expansion draft, we'll have to wait until after that to re-sign any UFAs. That might make Smith want to see what the open market has to offer.